At Least 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
At least six people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.
The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
Ghana's President President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.
Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.
